In recent years, larger motor vehicles such as pick-up trucks and SUVs have become popular. However, these vehicles have higher ground clearance making it more difficult to enter the vehicle. While many of these vehicles have running boards to make stepping up into the vehicle somewhat easier, these are placed too high for many individuals and can collect dirt and mud during driving which is then tracked into the vehicle. In the winter, snow and ice can build up on the running boards, creating a potentially dangerous situation.
Various patents exist for step-up devices to make entry into a motor vehicle easier. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,584,975 to Leitner, entitled Retractable Vehicle Step, discloses a vehicle step having a single arm that allows the step to be positioned and to retract. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,937 to Henderson et al., entitled Power Operated Running Board, discloses a running board that can be automatically positioned or retracted. In both of these patents, when the step is retracted, it is placed into a position below the vehicle door.